Monitoring and Reporting Pollution

Reporting pollution incidents is important to Colne Valley Fisheries and Conservation as it is a powerful tool for identifying potential problems and seeking action as soon as possible.

Our reporting system allows us to determine the best action to take when incidents occurs.

CVFC has created a National pollution reporting application open to all. Click the button below to see our latest pollution reports.

Recording Non-Native Invasive Species

Non-native invasive species and wildlife disease can have significant impacts on biodiversity, human society and its economic interests. About 10-15% of non-native species established in GB cause significant adverse impacts.

Our NNIS reporting system helps us track these species and involve the appropriate authorities.

Angling and Nature

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and the Colne Valley Fisheries Consultative (CVFC), which represents the interests of angling clubs in the Colne Valley, are working together to celebrate the role anglers play as stewards of wetland environments and to help clubs maximise the potential of their fisheries for both fish and wildlife.

The course is accredited by the AQA Unit Award Scheme, meaning anglers that attend receive formal certification.

Riverfly Monitoring

The Riverfly Partnership is a dynamic network of organisations, representing anglers, conservationists, entomologists, scientists, water course managers and relevant authorities, working together to: protect the water quality of our rivers; further the understanding of riverfly populations, and; conserve riverfly habitats.

Most of CVFC’s officers are trained riverfly monitors and some are also qualified riverfly tutors.

Protecting Wild Life

The water vole is one of the UK's rarest mammals and in the Colne Valley we have just two established populations. One is on a nature reserve. The other? On a fishery - where this rare species is thriving alongside traditional fisheries management.

Without management by angling clubs, in the Colne Valley and up and down the country, many of our lakes and rivers would fall prey to neglect and become far less valuable - for wildlife and for people.

Restoration and Conservation

Along the Colne Valley, lakeside trees are being managed to improve water quality and create new habitats for water voles. Gravel beds are being restored to rivers, creating spawning and refuge grounds for fish and homes for countless invertebrates.

Grassland surrounding fishing lakes is being sown with wildflower seed and managed by anglers to create meadows rich in insect life. The work of this project shows how much the angling community and the conservation sector can help each other, and the dividends that are returned working in partnership. Engaging with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and CVFC gives angling clubs access to training, funding and other support to maximise the potential of their fisheries and their contribution to the management of the catchment as a whole.

Launch of new national campaign to control highly invasive floating pennywort threatening Britain’s rivers and lakes

The Angling Trust has joined environmental groups and government agencies to help halt the spread of an invasive non-native plant that presents a major threat to rivers and lakes across Britain.

Floating pennywort – first found in the wild in England in the 1990s – can grow at an incredible 20cms a day from tiny fragments to form dense mats that cover the water’s surface. These can block out light, stifle native plants, and make rivers and lakes unsuitable for insects and fish.

The dense rafts can also make waters inaccessible to anglers and present a flood risk when plant mats build up around sluices and drains.

Floating pennywort can last for up to 14 days out of water, allowing for unintentional spread of the plant between water bodies on damp equipment and clothing which has not been thoroughly cleaned and dried. It is also notoriously difficult to control because very small fragments of the plant can regrow. As a result, any effort to control floating pennywort needs to be done regularly, at the right scale and for sufficient duration to be effective.

Learning from the success of smaller scale strategic partnerships, in September 2020 the Thames basin project was launched,

with the Angling Trust, Environment Agency and British Canoeing working together to coordinate management of floating pennywort in the region.

Angling and Nature Conservation Success in the Colne Valley

In the Colne Valley, a region famous for its coarse fishing and home to a large network of gravel pit lakes and river systems, a great collaborative project is taking place between angling clubs and the conservation community.

Colne Valley Fisheries Consultative (CVFC), which represents the interests of angling clubs in the Colne Valley, are working collaboratively with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to celebrate the pivotal role anglers play as stewards of the environment and to support clubs to maximise the positive impact their fisheries can have on fish and wildlife.

The wildlife you can find on some fisheries sites is close to rivalling that inhabiting some of the most impressive nature reserves. As anglers we spend long periods of our time in the great outdoors frequenting riverbanks, lakes and canals as we wait with anticipation of our first bite. We are the eyes and ears for the environment and in the Colne Valley anglers are important stewards of rare habitats such as fen meadow, reedbeds, meadow grassland and wet woodland. Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, CVFC and the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust are offering angling clubs in the Colne Valley an integrated fisheries and wetland management course. The course will cover a diverse range of topics including fish biology and health, fisheries legislation, wetland habitat management and algae and silt control, alongside others.

We cannot provide solutions on our own so we work with other with similar goals and aspirations and will continue to do so. If you or your organisation can help, please contact us. Together we can make a difference.

Crayfish

There are six non-native species of crayfish in England and Wales. [Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus)] The most common species – and the one that causes the biggest problem – is the signal crayfish. The signal crayfish was introduced from North America in the 1970s and sold to farmers looking to diversify into new markets. Crayfish escaped from these farms and established populations in our rivers and lakes. In addition, many new populations have been established due to translocations.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is illegal to introduce non-native species without permission of Natural England. All non-native crayfish caught must be humanely destroyed.

All North American species are capable of carrying crayfish plague to which European crayfish are highly susceptible.

The above information is courtesy of the Environment Agency Website that also sets out strict rules for trapping and identifying crayfish.

A number of CVFC members are now trapping signal crayfish in their lakes and rivers using their own equipment and member's labour or they are using the services of professional crayfish trappers. They usually supply the traps and empty them regularly on behalf of the fishery/club. CVFC is currently trying to co-ordinate the services of one company to help fisheries in the Colne Valley. If you wish to join this initiative please post a message on the message board with a name and contact number.

Please ensure before you undertake any trapping you get permission from the E.A. or you ensure your trapper does it for you.

Some websites and other published information conclude that trapping crayfish is ineffective. Unfortunately not all crayfish traps available on the market are designed to prevent smaller specimens escaping from the trap. Hence the statement is true if you use the wrong traps. The commonly used "trappy" crayfish trap will catch large crayfish but smaller crayfish will escape. It is essential that all crayfish caught are contained in the trap for the trapping process to be effective long term.

Set your crayfish traps 10 meters apart initially, in the margins of the lake or river preferably not is shallow water or bright sunlight. There is no gain by doubling them up, however if you find they are full each time you empty them set them 5 meters apart, if they are still full then you should consider a more efficient removal system such as fyke nets. If you are using crayfish traps check them daily and remove crayfish and replace the bait regularly, ideally the bait should be suspended in the centre of the trap, otherwise crayfish can eat the bait from outside the trap if it is accessible.

Check the condition of the crayfish, if you notice a high percentage with claws missing or crayfish re-growing new claws then you probably have a high concentration in the water as they are fighting with each other.

Crayfish can be caught all year around but you will catch more in the warmer months between May and the end of August. From late September onwards a three year old sexually mature female can be carrying as many as 400 eggs under her tail. She will carry them until early spring before she releases them in the water.

Angling and Nature Conservation Success in the Colne Valley

In the Colne Valley, a region famous for its coarse fishing and home to a large network of gravel pit lakes and river systems, a great collaborative project is taking place between angling clubs and the conservation community.

Colne Valley Fisheries Consultative (CVFC), which represents the interests of angling clubs in the Colne Valley, are working collaboratively with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to celebrate the pivotal role anglers play as stewards of the environment and to support clubs to maximise the positive impact their fisheries can have on fish and wildlife.

The wildlife you can find on some fisheries sites is close to rivalling that inhabiting some of the most impressive nature reserves. As anglers we spend long periods of our time in the great outdoors frequenting riverbanks, lakes and canals as we wait with anticipation of our first bite. We are the eyes and ears for the environment and in the Colne Valley anglers are important stewards of rare habitats such as fen meadow, reedbeds, meadow grassland and wet woodland.

Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, CVFC and the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust are offering angling clubs in the Colne Valley an integrated fisheries and wetland management course. The course will cover a diverse range of topics including fish biology and health, fisheries legislation, wetland habitat management and algae and silt control, alongside others. Anglers participating in the course will receive a formal certification as the course is accredited by the AQA Unit Award Scheme.

Reporting Non-Native Invasive Species

Non-native invasive species cause changes in the ecosystems to which they are introduced. These changes can potentially be damaging to ecosystems and biodiversity sometimes threating the existence of native species.

Non-native invasive species also cause harm to equatic and wildlife. When a new and aggressive species is introduced into an ecosystem, it may not have any natural predators or controls (such as pennywort) and can spread quickly taking over an area.

For these reasons we have developed a reporting application using modern mapping technology that simplifies reporting non-native invasive species and uploading photographs.

The application can be found at Non-Native Invasive Species Reporting. All data and photographs are available in the public domain for viewing and downloaded, including archives from previous years.

The Riverfly Partnership

The Riverfly Partnership is a dynamic network of organisations, representing anglers, conservationists, entomologists, scientists, water course managers and relevant authorities, working together to: protect the water quality of our rivers; further the understanding of riverfly populations, and; conserve riverfly habitats.

The Riverfly Partnership (RP) is hosted by the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) as part of FBA's active engagement in the management and conservation of the aquatic environment. RP reports to the RP Executive Committee whose members include the FBA, the Environment Agency, Salmon & Trout Conservation and the RP Chairman, Steve Brooks.

The Partnership comprises many individuals and groups across the United Kingdom. Our partners include angling clubs, conservation groups, trusts, businesses, scientists, research institutions, NGO's, and charities.

Viewing and Entering Pollution Reports

Water pollution is the release of substances into subsurface groundwater or into lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries and oceans to the point where the substances interfere with beneficial use of the water or with the natural functioning of ecosystems.

This can be caused by but not limited to:

• Untreated sewage
• Trade effluent
• Oil and chemical leaks
• Farming fertilisers and pesticide
• Fuel spills

Land pollution refers to the deterioration of the earth’s land surfaces at and below ground level. The cause is the accumulation of solid and liquid waste materials that contaminate groundwater and soil and includes both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

Reporting pollution incidents is important to Colne Valley Fisheries Consultative as it is a powerful tool for identifying potential problems and seeking action as soon as possible.

Our reporting system allows us to determine the best action to take when incidents occurs.

To report an incident or view our current and archived reports, follow this link to Pollution Reporting.